I have prepared these piglet teeth and bones which should do the trick for teeth experiments. These are from the upper jaw and I have also cleaned up the lower jaws. If you are in need of some let me know what you are looking for and we can work out a price based on what you need. Don’t forget you can always harvest the teeth from your own piglet specimens as well.

We do also sometimes have human teeth that have been autoclaved and are in steripacks for $2 each. Drop me a line and I’ll let you know what we have in stock.

15 Sept 2016

This entry was posted on September 15. 2016 by Miss Vivi

How different surfaces effect blood spatter patterns

I wish I could say that I had put together this gif myself using our simulated blood powder, but I was pointed towards it on Twitter this weekend. It’s going to make a great prac in your classroom, though. Let me know if you need a blood powder top up. One sachet makes a litre so it lasts for ages.

9 Feb 2016

This entry was posted on February 09. 2016 by Miss Vivi

Top Tip: Simulated Blood Powder Preparation

To make up the solution, introduce 500mL of hot water into a beaker on a
magnetic stirrer. Add the powder and leave to stir until it is all dissolved.

To test for complete dissolution scrape a bit up the side of the beaker using a
spatula. If the powder is not fully dissolved you will see small dark spots in the
liquid.

The sachet contains enough powder to make 1L of solution, but when I made
up a sample I dissolved the powder in 500mL and I thought the consistency was
just right.

When the powder is fully dissolved make the solution your desired consistency
by adding more water to a maximum volume of 1L.

To add ‘blood clots’ make a batch of port wine jelly and freeze it. Break up the
frozen jelly into pieces and mix with the artificial blood solution.

The solution is based on methyl cellulose so it’s probably best stored in the
fridge.

This product is sold as blood simulant for medical training centres and also as
stage blood. Mr Vivi put a dollop on the back of his hand and it stained him for
a couple of days.

This entry was posted on September 04. 2015 by Miss Vivi

Top Tip: inject the heart vascular system with paint

bovine heart with paint injected into the vascular system

Here’s a top tip that I first was given by a very experienced biology teacher at Brisbane Grammar. You can inject the vascular system of a heart with paint to highlight the blood vessels. I had a practice yesterday and found it much easier on this bovine heart than I ever have on a porcine heart. I’m not very experienced with syringes and needles, though, and there were plenty of labbies in the porcine pluck workshop at ConQEST that did a great job of it.

My tips for success:

Water down the paint a bit to make it easier for the syringe and needle.

Use a brightly coloured paint. Red and blue is tempting but yellow, orange and green show up much more clearly.

Allow a bit of air to flow out of the needle into the blood vessel ahead of the paint if you can.

Massage the paint along the finer vessels with your finger.

Try not to tell the lady at the craft shop what you really want to use the paint for. She will just look thoroughly disgusted and keep one eye on you until you finally get out of her shop.

I’ve also been told you can let the paint dry and see the highlighted vessels by cutting across the muscle and looking for the paint.